Briquetting roller press for compacting ore, coal and similar material



' J. B. DECKER ETAL BRIQUETTING R0 Jan. 8, 1963 3,072,043

LLER PRESS FOR COMPACTING ORE, COAL AND SIMILAR MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 20. 1957 /N VE N TORS Jan. 8, 1963 r J. B. DECKER ETAL 3,072,043

BRIQUETTING ROLLER PRESS FOR COMPACTING ORE COAL AND SIMILAR MATERIAL Filed Feb. 20, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Jan. 8, 1963 J. B. DECKER ETAL 3,072,043 BRIQUETTING ROLLER PRESS FOR COMPACTING ORE, COAL AND SIMILAR MATERIAL Filed Feb. 20, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Iii INVENTORS Jan. 8, 1963 J. B. DECKER ETAL 3,072,043 BRIQUETTING ROLLER PRESS FOR COMPACTING ORE, COAL AND SIMILAR MATERIAL Filed Feb. 20, 1957 4 SheetsSheet 4 United States Patent Office targets Patented Jan. 8, 1%63 3,tl72,43 BRIQUETTWG KELLER PRESS FOR COMPACT- lNG ORE, CGAL AND SIMILAR MATERIAL Johannes Bernhard Decker, Kain-Kath, and Heinz Meder, Koln-Dunnwald, Germany, assignors to Kliickner-llilnmholdt-Deutz Aktiengesellschaft, Koln-Deutz, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Feb. 20, 1957, Ser. No. 641,385 Claims priority, application Germany Feb. 25, 1956 6 Claims. (Cl. filth-168) Our invention relates to roller-type briquetting presses for compacting ore, coal and similar material.

In briquetting roller presses the molding tools of the rollers, that is, the peripheral jackets that are provided with mold-forming depressions, are subjected to relatively great wear. This is particularly the case when finegranular ore is to be fabricated. After occurrence of a given amount of wear, it is necessary to exchange the molding tools. In the known briquetting roller presses the exchange of the rollers is difiicult or troublesome. The individual parts, of which the upper portion of the briquetting press is composed, must first be taken off successively in order to make the rollers accessible; and thereafter the rollers are lifted out of the press by means of a crane. These operations, as well as those that follow, namely, the insertion of new rollers and the re-assembling of the briquetting press, consume a large amount of time with the known machines.

It is an object of this invention to eliminate these disadvantages by so constructing the briquetting roller presses that the exchange of the briquetting rollers is a very simple matter, and requires only a relatively short time.

For this purpose we employ a briquetting roller press of the type which has one or more pairs of opposingly rotating press rollers disposed beneath a distributor box equipped with a receiving opening for the material to be briquetted, the rollers being journalled in the machine frame and being provided with a spur gear drive. In accordance with a feature of our invention we subdivide the machine frame of such a roller press into an upper portion and a lower portion which are removably joined to each other. The lower portion of the machine frame is so constructed and the briquetting rollers so journalled in the machine frame that, after loosening the fastenings and lifting the upper portion, the rollers can be rolled out of the machine frame toward one side onto a supporting surface.

This makes it possible to lift the upper portion of the briquetting press after loosening a few screws, and to then simply roll the rollers out of the frame in the longitudinal direction of the briquetting press toward one side thereof, so that the rollers become freely accessible and can be transported away in a very simple manner.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be more fully understood from the preferred embodiment shown by Way of example on the drawing and described hereinafter. On the drawing:

FIG. 1 illustrates the briquetting roller press in lateral elevation;

FIG. 2 is a front view in the direction of the arrow indicated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3.is a top view;

FIG. 4 illustrates the briquetting roller press with lifted upper portion;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view in lateral elevation from FIG. 1, illustrating the positioning means for the bearing blocks of the shafts of the press rollers;

FIG. 6 shows a detail along the section line VI-VI in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross section along the line VII-VII in FIG. 5;

, (FIG. 7

FIG. 8 is a cross section along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 9 shows a detail, taken from FIG. 5 of the safety shearing device.

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a briquetting press ready for the briquetting operation. The press is comprised of a lower portion and an upper portion. The lower portion is provided with standards 1 and 2 that extend in the: longitudinal direction A of the press and are mounted on a frame 3 joined with the foundation. The upper portion of the machine includes a distributor box 4 and two bridges 5 and 6 (FIGS. 2 and 3) also extending longitudinally. The distributor box 4 is fastened by means of upwardly extending supports 7 and 8, on top of the bridges, so that a separate unit is formed which, as mentioned, forms the upper portion of the briquetting press. The distributor box has, on its upper end, an entrance opening 9 (FIG. 3) for theniaterial to be briquetted. The interior of the distributor box is provided with a double armed stirrer (not illustrated). The stirrer is described in a companion application, now issued as Patent No. 2,979,- 799. The stirrer is rotated by an electric motor 10, so that the briquetting material is forced to pass through an opening in the bottom of the distributor box, whence it drops into a chute 11 (FIG. 5). One wall 12 of the rectangular chute can be displaced toward the opposite wall, and adjusted in place by means of a hand wheel 14, thus permitting the discharged quantity of briquetting material to be varied. The distributor box a is further provided with two books 15 and 16 to which ropes 17 or chains can be attached in order to connect with a crane lift means 18. The crane is not further illustrated, being represented by the hook 18.

The two paired press rollers of the briquetting press are journalled on the two standards 1 and 2 of the lower portion. This is illustrated in PEG. 5 on larger scale. The journalling of the rollers is effected by means of rectangular bearing blocks 19 and 20 which are provided with linings 21 and 22 of bearing metal. The blocks function as slidably adjustable bearings. The hearing block 19 carries shaft 23, block 29 carrying shaft 24. The press rollers 25 and 26 are fastened on shaft 24 Located in the center between these two rollers is a spur gear 3% The two press rollers 27 and 28 are fastened on shaft 23, a spur gear 29 being located between them (FIGS. 3 and 8).

In operation, the two spur gears 29 and 3t! mesh with each other, so that the press rollers on shaft 23 rotate at exactly the same speed as the press rollers on shaft 24. The spur gear 29 meshes with a pinion gear 31 (FIG. 3) secured on a shaft 32. The shaft 32 is journalled, similarly to shaft 23 and 24, by means of rectangular bearing blocks 33 (FIG. 5) mounted on the two standards 1 and 2. Shaft 32 has an extension on one end which carries a clutch 65 (FIG. 2) for connection to a driving means (not illustrated).

The ends of the three shafts 23, 24, and 32 are spaced apart by intermediate spacer or connector blocks 35 and 36 which are fixed in position, the blocks at one end of the shafts being secured with respect to upper and lower structural elements 1 and 5, and at the other shaft ends with respect to structural elements 2 and 6. Outside of each end of shaft 23 is a positioning piece 38 (FIG. 5) which is also secured to the structural elemerits, by means of bolts or dowel pins 39. Right end (FIG. 5) positioning pieces or blocks 37 are secured by other bolts 39, the blocks 37 preventing the shifting of the drive shaft 32 to the right. The safety device 63 and the function of wedge 42 are more fully described below. Safety device 63 permits shaft 23 to move to the left (FIG. 5) if a foreign body drops down between the press rollers. It is understood that the positioning,

spacer, and wedge structures shown in FIG. 5 are duplicated at the other ends of the shafts.

The bolts 39, which preferably have a circular cross section, are chiefly effective to prevent displacement of the connecting pieces relative to the upper and lower portions. The connecting pieces have a special advantage in that they simplify the preparatory work needed for exchanging the rollers, that is, the loosening and the subsequent re-positioning of the upper portion.

In order to compensate for wear, on the briquette forming jackets of the individual rollers, it is advantageous to insert several spacer plates 40 between the block 19 and the connecting piece 35. One or more plates 46* can be individually removed, in accordance with the amount of wear of the roller jackets, and the bearing block 19 and shaft 23 can be pressed toward the right (FIG. 5) so that the respective roller jackets are again placed closely opposite each other.

A number of screws, represented by the broken lines 44- and 45, are provided, to fasten the positioning or spacer blocks 35 through 38 on the two standards 1 and 2, and to the bridges 5, 6. The connecting blocks or pieces 35 and 36 have a height, designated 68 in FIG. 5, which corresponds either accurately to the height of the bearing blocks 21) and 33, or the height 63 is slightly less than that of these bearing blocks. The bearings 26 and 33 can therefore be firmly clamped by means of screws 44 and 45 between the upper and lower portions of the machine frame. However, the efiective height 69 (FIG. 8) of bearing'19 that is, the distance between its upper and lower faces, is somewhat less than the height of the connecting piece 35 and the connecting piece 33, the difference being approximately 0.04 mm. to 0.08 mm. In this manner, the upper and lower faces of the two bearings 19 are slidably supported, that is, in sliding fit between the upper and lower portions of the machine frame. The bearings 19 can slide laterally between the surfaces 7t and 71 if a foreign body, such as a bolt, should enter between the two rollers. In normal operation, the bearings 19 cannot become displaced laterally, because they are constrained on one side either by spacer plates 49 or connecting piece 35, and on the other side they are retained in place by shear member 63, described below. The safety device comprising member 63 is so dimensioned that it can receive the normal operating pressure, namely the normal compressing force required in the briquetting. This force urges press rollers 27 and 28 to the left, against the safety device member 63. Each of the bearings I? are marked so as to prevent exchanging one for the other when mounting the rollers into the machine.

Located in the space between the right-hand surface 72 of the left end position or connecting piece 38 (FIG. 5) and the lefthand vertical surface 73 of the respective bearing 19, is a constricting evice, in addition to the above-mentioned safety member 63. The constricting device comprises two mating wedges 41 and 42. The height of wedge 41 corresponds approximately to the spacing between the surfaces 70 and 71 of the upper and lower frame portions. The wedge 42 can be pulled upwardly by means of a rotatable spindle d3 serviceable or operable from the upper side of the bridges 5 and 6. Due to the slanting wedge faces, the wedge 41 is thus forced to the right, thus assisting in the securing, tensioning or constricting, and clamping of the bearings 19, 20, 33 and of connecting pieces 35, 36, in the horizontal direction.

The safety member 63 inserted between the wedge a1 and the left-hand surface '73 of bearing 19 is illustrated in FIG. 9, on a larger scale. This member consists essentially of a cylindrical bushing 74 which has, on its left end, a circular shoulder 75 which is guided and centered in a corresponding recess in wedge 41. The interior of the bushing 74 has a ring-shaped shoulder 76 which forms an abutment for a shear plate 77. A cylindrical piece 78 has a projection 79 which rests against the shear plate 77. The outer diameter 89 of piece '73 corresponds to the inner diameter of the bushing 74. The diameter of projection 79 corresponds to the inner diameter of the shoulder 76. The right vertical surface 81 of the pressure piece abuts against the left surface '7 of the bearing.

It is advantageous to provide, beneath each roller on the standards 1 and 2, an eccentric cam device as and 47 (FIG. 5). Each eccentric cam device consists of a roller 48, as shown on larger scale in FIG. 6. The roller 48 is eccentrically mounted on a rotatable shaft 49 which is journalled in a bearing 59 on the standard 1 or 2 and has its exterior end provided with a squared portion 51 by means of which the eccentric cam roller 48 can be turned with the aid of a wrench. An eccentric cam roller 48 is so disposed beneath each briquetting roller that, when the eccentric is in its lowermost position there is sufficient space to push a rail 52 between the eccentric 48 and the respective briquetting roller. The rail 52, as is apparent from FIG. 6, is preferably given an H-shaped profile. This gives the rail sufficient positional stability to receive the weight of the briquetting roller.

As is apparent from H68. 1 and 4, a conveyor belt 53 is mounted at the upper end of the distributor box The conveyor belt forms a connecting linkage between the box and the kneading mechanism 54. The supporting structure 62 of the conveyor belt is fastened by means of horizontal pivot 55 to the distributor box and by horizontal pivot 55 to the lower end of the kneading mechanism 5 The pivot junctions are so consrtucted that the supporting structure of the conveyor forms a secure guidance for the upper portion of the hriquetting press, when the upper portion is lifted in the manner described. below.

The operation of the machine is as follows. The material to be briquetted, mixed with a suitable binding agent, is supplied in the direction of the arrow 57 into the kneading mechanism 54 (FIG. 4). The kneading mechanism is provided with stirrer arms 58 mounted on a vertical shaft 59 which is connected with a drive 60. The stirring converts the material into briquettable condition. At the same time, steam is introduced through nozzles 61 to pre-heat the material. The so conditioned material leaves the mechanism 54 at its lower end and passes through a slide or spout 67 (FIG. 4) onto the conveyor belt 53 which throws the material into the distributor box Thence the arm passes into the chute 11 due to the action of the above-mentioned stirrer or agitator arm (not illustrated). Chute 11 passes the material between the two press rollers 26 and 28, and between press rollers 25 and 27. The briquetted material, in the form of individual briquettes of oval shape for example, is discharged from between the rollers downwardly and leaves the briquetting press.

After a period of operation, when an appreciable amount of wear has occurred at the surface of the briquetting rollers, a few spacer plates ltl should be re moved and the shaft 23 and the rollers 27 and 23 pushed toward the right, that is, toward the rollers 25, 26, to compensate for the wear. If this is no longer possible, then the rollers of the briquetting press must be exchanged. This is done as follows.

First, the upper portion of the briquetting press is connected with the crane hook 18 by means of the cables 3.7. Then the screw bolts 44 and 45, the bolts 3d and the wedges 4'1 and 42 are loosened. Thereafter, the upper portion of the briquetting press can be lifted by the crane. During the lifting motion, the supporting structure 62 of the belt conveyor 53 operates as a guide for the upper portion so that the upper portion can move upwardly only in a circular path about the horizontal pivot 56. Thereafter, the connecting pieces 35 to 33 as well as the wedges 41 and 42 and the safety device 6? can be removed laterally so that the bearings 19 and 20 of the briquetting rollers are freely accessible. These bearings, which, as shown in FIG. 5, are preferably split into two half portions, can then be removed in the lateral direction, after the rollers are lifted upon the two supporting rails 52. The latter are inserted between the roller and the eccentric cam in the longitudinal direction of the briquetting press, to form a rolling path for the press rollers. The eccentric cams are then turned by means of wrenches, so that the roll-way rails, and the briquetting rollers, are lifted with the result that the bearing blocks 19 and 23 are also lifted off the standards 1 and 2. Subsequently, the eccentric cams 47 are further turned through a given angle, so that the rails 52 occupy a position which is inclined downwardly, outwardly. Now the briquetting rollers can roll out of the briquetting press upon the inclined rails. The briquetting rollers are then stopped on adjacent rails 64, whence, since the rollers are now fully accessible, they can be easily removed by means of a crane. The briquette-shaping tools of the briquetting rollers, that is, the outer rings or jackets 34 which are provided with the mold forming oval shaped depressions, can now be removed and can be replaced by new jackets. Independently of such repair work, a spare set of briquetting rollers, each comprising a shaft and a spur gear as well as two briquetting rollers, can be inserted into the press immediately following the removal of the old briquetting rollers.

The mounting of the new sets of briquetting rollers into the machine takes place in the reverse sequence. The rollers are placed upon the rails 64 (FIG. 4) and are then rolled into the briquetting press one after the other. For this purpose, the eccentric cams 46 and 47 are so set that the roll-way rails 52 are inclined toward the interior. That is, in this case the left end of the rails (FIG. 5) is lifted by the eccentric cam devices 46 to a greater height than the right-hand end is lifted by the eccentric cam devices 47. The briquetting rollers 25, 25 are now inserted so that the spur gear 30 forming part of this set, enters into meshing engagement with the pinion 31. Similarly, the rollers 27, 28 are rolled toward the briquetting rollers 25, 25 until the two spur gears 29 and 30 mesh properly. Now the eccentric cams can be returned to their normal position so that the bearings 1% and 2-D, placed upon the roller shafts, will rest upon the two standards 1 and 2. Thereafter, the connecting or position pieces, as well as the spacer plates 40, are inserted, and the upper portion is lowered.

During lowering motion of the upper portion, the supporting structure 62 of the belt conveyor 53 acts again as a guide. As a result, the tongues 66 (FIGS. 5 and 7) which cover, laterally, the wedge-shaped space above the appertaining briquetting rollers and between the chute 11 and these rollers, are accurately inserted in proper position between the rollers, and the bores for the fastening bolts 4-4 and 45 are placed into the proper position. These bolts as well as all other bolts and tensioning devices described above can now be inserted and fastened (FIG. 5). The cables 17 can be removed and the rails 55 can be pulled out of the briquetting press. Thereafter, the press is again in condition for operation. The entire exchanging operation occupies a relatively short time, so that the production is not interrupted to any appreciable extent.

The operation of the safety device according to FIGS. 5 and 9 is as follows. If a foreign, non-briquettable, body enters through chute 11 between the two rollers, the bearing 1? is forced toward the left due to the fact that the resulting pressure forces acting upon the briquetting rollers are very large as compared with the frictional forces between the bearing and the machine frame. Consequently, the pressure member 78 and its end portion 79 are pushed against the shear plate 77 with so great a force that the plate is sheared on along a circular line, with the result that the end portion 79 can move toward the left into the space 82.

As is apparent from FIG. 8, the dimensions of the shear-type safety device are such that the external shape of the device corresponds to conventional pressure-measuring gauges, to hydraulic pressure gauges, for example. In this respect, it is significant that the shape of the projecting end 75 and the corresponding recess in the Wedge 41, as well as the distance between the wedge 41 and the surface 73 of bearing 19, correspond to the pressure chamber dimensions required for a conventional pressure measuring gauge. The shear-type safety device can thus readily be replaced by a pressure measuring gauge, or used in conjunction therewith. Such a pressure measuring gauge, as indicated by dot and dash lines :in FIG. 8, is connected by a connecting pipe 83 with a pressure measuring instrument 84. The instruments indicate the pressure obtaining between bearing 1% and wedge: 4-1. The indicated pressure is a measure of the loading and stresses imposed upon the roller jackets. During pressure measuring operations, the bearings 19, during normal opera tion, are displaced only a very slight amount so that the gap between the briquetting roller pairs is not increased practically.

In some cases it is desirable to provide a feeler lever (not shown) at the shear-type safety device, or at any other suitable location, which feeler lever is electrically connected with a contactor (not shown), the contactor being actuated as soon as the surface 73 of the bearings 19 become displaced a given or pro-determined distance toward the left. For instance, the feeler lever may be mounted on the outside of pressure piece 78, and the electric countencontact to cooperate with the feeler lever upon its displacement may be mounted on the outside of the bushing 74 (FIG. 9) at a location opposite the feeler lever. The contactor, when actuated, disconnects the current supply to the drive motor of the briquetting press. Since the two bearings 19 slide the said given distance toward the left only when a foreign body has ontered between the briquetting rollers, the result of such operation is to automatically stop the briquetting press.

For some purposes it is also advantageous to use a pressure measuring gauge having an electric contact such as a contact manometer, the latter being electrically connected with a power circuit contactor. The contactor is actuated to disconnect the drive motor as soon as a given pressure at the measuring gauge is attained.

The pressure measuring gauge may also be connected to an electric signal device (not shown) which indicates lateral displacement of the bearings 19, thus signalling any trouble due to foreign bodies entering between the briquetting rollers. In this manner, the attending persons are immediately made aware of such trouble in order to take care of promptly the briquetting press back into operation.

The invention is applicable in the same manner to briquetting roller presses having only one pair of briquetting rollers or having more than two pairs of such rollers.

In some cases it is also preferable, instead of using a crane or hoist, to provide some other type of device to lift the upper portion of the briquetting press. For instance, a hoist is unnecessary if three or more spindles are provided between lower portion and upper portion, the spindles being so arranged and shaped that the upper portion can be lifted a sufficient distance by rotating the spindles. It will be understood that such a spindle is preferably equipped with eccentric cams of the type described above, so that rotation of the spindles through a given angle causes lifting or lowering of the upper portion.

Other modifications, readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a study of this disclosure, can be made without departing from the essential principles of the invention, and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

We claim:

1. A roller briquetting press capable of compressing materials such as ore, coal and the like at relatively high pressures, comprising at least two opposingly rotatable rollers having cooperating material pressing surfaces for briquetting the material, respective roller shafts on which each of said rollers is fixedly and axially mounted, bearing blocks journalling said roller shafts and having planar sliding surfaces for movement of said bearing blocks in a direction transverse to the axes of said roller shafts, a lower supporting structure having parallel standards provided with upper planar surfaces substantially coextensive with the length of said lower structure and upon which said bearing blocks are slidably supported, an upper supporting structure having lower planar surfaces contiguous with sliding surfaces of said bearing blocks for guiding and retaining the latter, drive means having a drive shaft operably connected for driving aid rollers, and a longitudinally displaceable intermediate structure disposed between said upper supporting structure and said standards for adjustably determining the spacing between said bearing blocks and thus between said roller shafts for compensating for wear of said rollers, said intermediate structure comprising a plurality of spacer pieces disposed between said upper structure and said standards, respective ones of said spacer pieces being disposed outwardly of and others being disposed between said roller shafts, fastening means for removably fastening when in fastening position said outermost spacer pieces respectively to said upper and lower structures, and separate locating means between the outermost ones of said spacer pieces and said upper and lower structures respectively to prevent displacement of said outermost pieces in either of two directions transverse to the axes of said roller shafts when said fastenin means are out of said fastening position.

2. A roller briquetting press capable of compressing materials such as ore, coal and the like at relatively high pressures, comprising at least two opposingly rotatable rollers having cooperating material pressing surfaces for briquetting the material, respective roller shafts on which each of said rollers is fixedly and axially mounted, bearing blocks journalling said roller shafts and having planar sliding surfaces for movement of said bearing blocks in a direction transverse to the axes of said roller shafts, a lower supporting structure having parallel standards provided with upper planar surfaces substantially coextensive with the length of said lower structure and upon which said bearing blocks are slidably supported, an upper supporting structure having lower planar surfaces contiguous with sliding surfaces of said bearing blocks for guiding and retaining the latter, drive means having a drive shaft operably connected for driving said rollers, drive shaft bearing means in which said drive shaft is rotatably journalled, said bearing means being disposed between said standards and said upper supporting structure, and a longitudinally displaceable intermediate structure disposed between said upper supporting structure and said standards for adjustably determining the spacing between said bearing blocks and thus between said roller shafts for compensating for wear of said rollers, said intermediate structure comprising a plurality of spacer pieces disposed between said upper structure and said standards, respective ones of said spacer pieces being disposed outwardly of and others being disposed between said roller shafts, fastening means for removably fastenlng when in fastening position said outermost spacer pieces respectively to said upper and lower structures, and separate locating means between the outermost ones of said spacer pieces and said upper and lower structures respectively to prevent displacement of said outermost pieces in either of two directions transverse to the axes of said roller shafts when said fastening means are out of said fastening position.

3. A roller briquetting press capable of compressing materials such as ore, coal and the like at relatively high pressures, comprising at least two opposingly rotatable rollers having cooperating material pressing surfaces for briquetting the material, respective roller shafts on which each of said rollers is fixedly and axially mounted, hearing blocks journalling said roller shafts and having planar sliding surfaces for movement of said bearing blocks in a direction transverse to the axes of said roller shafts, a lower supporting structure having parallel standards provided with upper planar surfaces substantially coextensive with the length of said lower structure and upon which said bearing blocks are slidably supported, an upper supporting structure having lower planar surfaces contiguous with sliding surfaces of said bearing blocks for guiding and retaining the latter, the horizontal spacing of said parallel standards being greater than the length of said rollers, a plurality of spacing means disposed between said upper supporting structure and said standards, respective ones of said spacing means being located inwardly between said roller shafts and other ones of said spacing means being located outwardly of said roller shafts, removable separate locating means to prevent shift of the outermost of said spacing means in either of two directions transverse to the axes of said roller shafts, and fastening means joining said outwardly located spacing means to said upper supporting structure and to said standards, and adjustable wedge means disposed between the bearing blocks on at least one of said roller shafts and said spacing means for adjusting the mutual spacing of said rollers while providing the reaction force necessary for briquetting, whereby upon wear of said material pressing surfaces said rollers and shafts are readily and quickly removable and exchangeable as a unit from said press, drive means having a drive shaft operably connected for driving said rollers, drive shaft bearing means in which said drive shaft is rotatably journalled, said bearing means being disposed. between said standards and said upper supporting structure, said spacer means including respective spacer pieces located between said drive shaft bearing means and said bearing blocks, said spacer means also including a plurality of removable spacer plates between said spacer pieces and said bearing blocks, said spacer plates and spacer pieces together adjustably determining the spacing between said bearing blocks and thus between said roller shafts for compensating for wear of said rollers.

4. A roller briquetting press capable of compressing materials such as ore, coal and the like at relatively high pressures, comprising at least two opposingly rotatable rollers having cooperating material pressing surfaces for briquetting the material, respective roller shafts on which each of said rollers is fixedly and axially mounted, bearing blocks journalling said roller shafts and having planar sliding surfaces for movement of said bearing blocks in a direction transverse to the axes of said roller shafts, a lower supporting structure having parallel standards provided with upper planar surfaces substantially coextensive with the length of said lower structure and upon which said bearing blocks are slidably supported, an upper supporting structure having lower planar surfaces contiguous with sliding surfaces of said bearing blocks for guiding and retaining the latter, the horizontal spacing of said parallel standards being greater than the length of said rollers, a plurality of spacing means disposed between said upper supporting struoture and said standards, respective ones of said spacing means being located inwardly between said roller shafts and other ones of said spacing mean being located outwardly of said roller shafts, removable locating means and fastening means joining said outwardly located spacing means to said upper supporting structure and to said standards, and adjustable wedge mean disposed between the bearing blocks on at least one of said roller shafts and said spacing means for adjusting the mutual spacing of said rollers while providing the reaction force necessary for briquetting, whereby upon wear of said material pressing surfaces said rollers and shafts are readily and quickly removable and exchangeable as a unit from said press, said wedge means being located along the line of force extending between bearing blocks of diflerent ones of said roller shafts, said wedge means being adapted to withstand the normal compressive cooperating briquetting force of said rollers, a safety device located along said line of force and disposed between said wedge means and one of said bearing blocks, said safety device having a shear member which gives way when operation of the press rollers produces a force along said line of force in excess of a predetermined safe value and acting to spread said roller-s apart, whereby upon foreign matter entering between said rollers and producing a mutual separating force between said rollers in excess of the normal briquetting force, said safety device will operate to permit separation of the rollers a further mutual distance apart.

5. In a roller briquetting press according to claim 1, a device for ready removal of said rollers from said standards, comprising roll-way means disposed between said standards and beneath said rollers, and eccentric means for adjusting the level and inclination of said roll- Way means, whereby adjustment of said eccentric means to a first position raises said rollers and said bearing blocks and whereby adjustment of said eccentric means to a second position causes said roll-way means to be inclined downwardly for rolling said rollers thereon from between said bearing blocks.

6. A roller briquetting press according to claim 3, and including a distributor box fixedly mounted to said upper supporting structure for feeding the material to the interspace between said rollers and for removal as a unit with said upper supporting structure during replacemerzt of said rollers, a masticating mechanism forming a fixed base spaced apart from said distributor box for preparing material to be fed to said briquetting press, conveyor means having a supporting frame pivotally connected between said masticating mechanism and said distributor box, whereby after removal of said distributor box and upper supporting structure as a unit said pivoted conveyor frame accurately relocates the position of said upper supporting structure upon said lower structure and relative to said masticating mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 126,341 Stevens Apr. 30, 1872 398,401 Huckabay Feb. 26, 1889 457,395 Bowen Aug. 11, 1891 506,362 Dowling Oct. 10, 1893 598,745 Perky Feb. 8, 1898 802,777 Nutt Oct. 24, 1905 920,838 Deviller May 4, 1909 1,541,118 Cole June 9, 1925 1,650,495 Damon Nov. 22, 1927 1,900,347 Jones Mar. 7, 1933 2,585,325 Imshaug Feb. 12, 1952 2,686,930 Norton Aug. 24, 1954 

1. A ROLLER BRIQUETTING PRESS CAPABLE OF COMPRESSING MATERIALS SUCH AS ORE, COAL AND THE LIKE AT RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURES, COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO OPPOSINGLY ROTATABLE ROLLERS HAVING COOPERATING MATERIAL PRESSING SURFACES FOR BRIQUETTING THE MATERIAL, RESPECTIVE ROLLER SHAFTS ON WHICH EACH OF SAID ROLLERS IS FIXEDLY AND AXIALLY MOUNTED, BEARING BLOCKS JOURNALLING SAID ROLLER SHAFTS AND HAVING PLANAR SLIDING SURFACES FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID BEARING BLOCKS IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE AXES OF SAID ROLLER SHAFTS, A LOWER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE HAVING PARALLEL STANDARDS PROVIDED WITH UPPER PLANAR SURFACES SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE LENGTH OF SAID LOWER STRUCTURE AND UPON WHICH SAID BEARING BLOCKS ARE SLIDABLY SUPPORTED, AN UPPER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE HAVING LOWER PLANAR SURFACES CONTIGUOUS WITH SLIDING SURFACES OF SAID BEARING BLOCKS FOR GUIDING AND RETAINING THE LATTER, DRIVE MEANS HAVING A DRIVE SHAFT OPERABLY CONNECTED FOR DRIVING AID ROLLERS, AND A LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACEABLE INTERMEDIATE STRUCTURE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID UPPER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND SAID STANDARDS FOR ADJUSTABLY DETERMINING THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID BEARING BLOCKS AND THUS BETWEEN SAID ROLLER SHAFTS FOR COMPENSATING FOR WEAR OF SAID ROLLERS, SAID INTERMEDIATE STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACER PIECES DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID UPPER STRUCTURE AND SAID STANDARDS, RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID SPACER PIECES BEING DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF AND OTHERS BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ROLLER SHAFTS, FASTENING MEANS FOR REMOVABLY FASTENING WHEN IN FASTENING POSITION SAID OUTERMOST SPACER PIECES RESPECTIVELY TO SAID UPPER AND LOWER STRUCTURES, AND SEPARATE LOCATING MEANS BETWEEN THE OUTERMOST ONES OF SAID SPACER PIECES AND SAID UPPER AND LOWER STRUCTURES RESPECTIVELY TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT OF SAID OUTERMOST PIECES IN EITHER OF TWO DIRECTIONS TRANSVERSE TO THE AXES OF SAID ROLLER SHAFTS WHEN SAID FASTENING MEANS ARE OUT OF SAID FASTENING POSITION. 